


A Surprise and an Epiphany

by melissima



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 19:50:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5468813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melissima/pseuds/melissima
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paige surprises Walter for his birthday</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Surprise and an Epiphany

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WeBuiltThePyramids](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeBuiltThePyramids/gifts).



> Set in S2 before the events of Arrivals & Departures

"Your birthday is a big deal, we should do something special," Paige had told him; she wanted to surprise him. 

"It'll be fun," she'd said, with her hand warm on his forearm. She smelled of soap and the oolong tea she liked to drink with her breakfast. She was like a construct that had been perfectly designed to get him to agree.

So far, it was not fun. She'd parked him in Toby's rolling chair (which he had not sat in since Toby had talked about "butt grooves.") He accepted a too-light cup of coffee with a smile. She oriented him facing the window that overlooked the parking lot, and forbade him to turn around. Worse, she was moving around behind him, tantalizing him with sounds he could identify but not understand. 

He'd talked her into allowing him his laptop, distracted himself with work for his latest non-Scorpion client, but the function he was coding was not coming together -- or at least not coming together elegantly. The sound of Paige opening and closing cabinets and drawers behind him was just too distracting. He knew he should put on headphones, listen to something else, but found himself speaking, instead. "You should just tell me where we're going, I'll probably figure it out on the way, anyway." 

Her hair tickled when she leaned to speak in his ear. He shivered.

"If you don't let me surprise you, you don't get the surprise," she murmured, before stepping away. More cabinets and drawers.

Walter cleared his throat. Was that her sexy voice? He knew she had a sexy voice, because she'd used it undercover before. It wasn't the idea of sex that made him nervous, but the idea of sex with Paige who was so nice, and so pretty, and was probably the only person he listened to, most days, when she suggested a calmer, more considered course of action. Plus, she was Ralph's _mom._ "Don't you think we should just stay home? I mean Ralph--"

"He'll be fine with Happy and Toby. They're seeing a movie, and having burgers with Cabe, and we'll have your cake with them, either tonight or tomorrow after school. He won't even miss me until bedtime," something clunked near the front door -- probably the tote bag she carried textbooks in. "I don't think you're worried about Ralph at all. I think you're having a little trouble trusting me." She made the words sound all sing-songy, as she picked up the office phone to change the outgoing message. He smiled at her tone, which was even more chipper than her usual answering machine voice, and blew out a sigh. When she'd finished recording, he said, "Trusting you with Scorpion is different. This is like...it's like being blindfolded."

She plopped down on the cushions beside him, causing the ancient sofa to groan in protest, "maybe we should try that, too."  
In a split second his brain presented him with a whole string of inappropriate images, of women who were called Mistress, who blindfolded people and poked them with their high heels and had sex with them. He blinked to banish the thoughts, only to realize Paige was speaking again. His face heated.

"...weather balloon?"

"Come again?"

"I asked, didn't I keep you safe up in the weather balloon?" she took his hand in hers, the one he'd struggled to close around the buckle when they were both hanging from the cargo net in the stratosphere. Her touch was ticklish-soft, and he had to pause to swallow before he could speak. "Okay yes, but I was recovering from post-concussion syndrome at the time."

"Walter," she purred, rubbing her thumb back and forth across his hand. She broke off, shaking her head. "Where do you keep your windbreaker?"

He directed her to the footlocker at the end of his bed. She found it and stuffed into one of the bags. "Okay, I think that's everything," she said, opened the door and gathered up both the bulging bags.

"Don't you want me to carry some of that?" he asked as she hefted the largest one and reached for another.

"No!" she yelped. "Sorry, I got it." You're the birthday boy, no work for you. Besides, I know you just want to get more data to use for guessing."

He felt weird following her out empty-handed. What was all that stuff? "At least let me open the car for you," he said, hooking a finger in the keychain-strap dangling from her jacket pocket. 

"Thanks!" she said, "Pop the trunk, too, please."

Walter got into the car, repeating in his mind the words she'd whispered earlier: _If you want the surprise, you have to let me surprise you._

Paige slid into the driver's side. As they pulled into traffic, she glanced at him, eyes bright. "So you'll never guess what Ralph said to me last night about his Robotics class..."

#

"Wait, so after all that, they still didn't understand?" Walter prompted between chuckles. He really needed to sit down with Ralph later and get his version of this story. Either Cal-Tech had really relaxed its admissions policies, or Ralph's classmates were having fun at his expense. He didn't want Ralph's first college experience to be negative. It would be tricky, though, because if Ralph got upset, she would be angry.

Paige suddenly sat up straight and then twisted to peer out the back windows, biting her bottom lip. "Where do you think we are?" 

He looked around at the chaparral-covered hills. They were on the 101 North, near Los Feliz. He wasn't sure if he should tell her that, though. He studied her face for a clue, before quipping, "I'm not supposed to know, remember?"

"Very funny. But you're right, it's not a big enough deal to be worth spoiling the surprise," she muttered, "I'll pull off at the next exït, to check the map."

#

Walter waited in the rapidly-heating sedan, watched Paige through the plate glass at the front of the building. She frowned at a map she had taken from her purse. The helpful gas station employee pointed and nodded. 

After a few minutes, she climbed back in and plastered a smile across her flushed face. "Do you want a cold drink? I've got some ice water and some juice boxes in here..." she bent to rummage in her purse and handed him a box of orange juice. She opened one for herself, too, and set off again. 

"Is everything alright?" Walter ventured between sips.

"Oh it's...It'll be okay. I'm just more used to the five," she reached into her purse again, and pulled out wrapped sandwich halves -- turkey and swiss on toast with pesto, his favorite. "I think we still have time to get there, if the traffic stays light."

#

A scant ten minutes later, Walter could no longer pretend he didn't know they were headed for Griffith Park. But he said nothing, and Paige grinned at him as they turned in past the sign. Once inside, she directed him to the planetarium, pulled out a pair of tickets, and stepped up to greet the old man at the welcome desk.

Walter cringed internally. They were six minutes late for the 11a.m. planetarium presentation, and the doors were already closed.

The man smiled apologetically at Paige. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but the show has already started and the planetarium doors are closed. The box office can exchange your tickets for the 2p.m. showing, if you like." 

Paige's fist clenched around the tickets, and Walter stepped up from behind her.

"Mr. Bradley, how are you?"

The old man squinted and peered. "Walter O'Brien, is that you?" He stepped out from behind the desk to shake Walter's hand and look up at him, marveling. "Why, I haven't seen you since you were a boy!"

#

Of course, since everyone here knew Walter well from his summer internship before junior year of undergrad, within minutes they were walking through the usher's entrance and shown to seats near the center of the planetarium, where they would get the best possible view.

The teenaged usher stumbled over his attempts to wish the beautiful lady an enjoyable show, and retreated.

When he was gone, Paige muttered, "Just once I would like to do something for you that does not depend on the world parting like the red sea for the great Walter O'Brien." 

He pretended not to hear, as the volume of the music and narration swelled. It was confusing. She'd wanted to see the planetarium presentation. Now that they were inside, she was angry with him. He weighed a couple of different responses, but couldn't settle on anything certain to improve her mood. 

The presentation reached its discussion of the Hubble telescope, and the repairs that were finally instated. When the narrator announced that the repair was complete and that the Hubble could continue its mission, Paige grabbed his hand and squeezed before joining the applause. "It's so cool," she whispered. Apparently her annoyance had passed, because she sighed and settled in her seat much more relaxed.

Walter felt his shoulders ease down, and smiled. He arranged his arm across the back of her chair, and she responded even more positively than he'd expected, shifting closer and laying her head back on his shoulder.

#

On the drive back, she was full of excitement about the solar system. He told her all about the things the planetarium's presentation didn't delve into, like the Oort cloud, and the exoplanets NASA was examining for possible colonization in the future.

Once they'd arrived at the garage and put away the food and things, Walter took Paige's hand as she reached up to close the last cabinet and held it. "Thank you for my birthday surprise."

"I'm sorry the surprise was so old hat for you," she replied, blushing.

"It doesn't matter. I love the planetarium. I should have already taken you and Ralph up there, but we've been so busy with Scorpion stuff I hadn't gotten to it."

Paige sighed, slumping dejectedly. "I just wanted to show you that I get how cool all the space stuff is, I'm not one of these people who can't tell Neptune from Venus."

Walter's chest expanded with affection for her. He leaned in and kissed her.

She hummed happily against his lips, something he hadn't expected to find so pleasurable. He wondered what it meant, and an unfamiliar thought intruded: he wished he had the emotional intelligence to interpret all her non-verbal signals, because he desperately wanted to make her happy.

#

Startled, he pulled back to stare at her face, realizing not for the first time that this woman had -- was in the process of -- turning his tidy worldview on its head. Logic and what little he had picked up about psychology told him he should be very uncomfortable.

"What is it?" she coaxed.

"Ralph will be stronger than you or me," he interlaced their fingers as she resettled against him, "He has the best of EQ *and* IQ, thanks to you."

"Feeling threatened, old man?" she slid her foot along his calf.

"A little, yeah," he let a chuckle bubble up, "but for the moment? I think I'm safe."

"Probably," she pulled his head down so she could kiss the silly grin off his face.

###

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the Yuletide Mods as always for a fantastic experience  
> Thanks to WeBuiltThePyramids for a great prompt
> 
> Happy Holidays!


End file.
